Ivory Coast to boost power production with new hydroelectric dam

ABDIJAN, Ivory Coast 12/6/11 (PennWell) -- Ivory Coast will build a 275-MW hydroelectric power station in Soubre, according to the country's Ministry of Mines.

The announcement came during a two-day meeting of West African power sector officials and is part of Ivory Coast's plan to increase power capacity by 150 MW per year for the next decade.

Ivory Coast currently has a capacity of about 1,200 MW of electricity -- 607 MW of which are provided by six hydroelectric facilities -- putting the country in a position to export surplus power to a number of surrounding countries.

The country currently exports power to Ghana, Burkina, Benin, Togo and Mali, with plans to expand to Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.